The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-04-17
In German Quarters.

BERLIN, April 16. copyrighted by the
New York Associated fr,ss, 19S7.l-
Prince Bismarck will return to Berlin in
time to be present at the debate in the
Reichstag on the financial proposals.
The project before the Bundesrath
asking for a supplementary military
credit, covers simply the purposes
already agreed upon, and has no war
character. 1t will pass the Reichstag
without active opposition; it will be
otherwise. however, with the taxation
reforms, and especially with the pro-
posed tax on the consumption of spirits
and sugars. The statement is pub
lIshed that.the nature of the proposals
is doubtful. The bills were only sent
to the Bundesrath to-day. The
budget estimate of the spirit duty for
the current year, is that it will yield
80 600 600 marks. Ten years ago it was
30 GOO 600 marks. On sugar this year,
the dutylis 35, C00, GOO marks. whereas
decade ago it was As 100000 marks.
Though it is thus made evident that
fiscal reforms are necessary, any pro-
posals that the government may make
are certain to arouse sectional opposi-
ton. The Conservatives are privately
urging Prince Bismarck to respond
to the impending Russian customs
edicts affecting German traders, by re-
taliation in the form of an increase. in
the duties on Russian corn. The other
groups in the Reichstag have no SYM
patty with this movement. Besides
the financial proposals, the legislative
work awaiting the Relchstag includes
Prince Bismarck's social reform
schemes. The first bill to be
considered is the one providing
for the insurance of seamen
against accidents, which has been
already sent to committee. 1t
has the partial approval of the ship
ping interests, and will pass without
trouble. The next bill to come up will
be the one extending the accident
insurance law to laborers employed in
the construction of public works. This
also will pass, but the government pro-
possls to amend the law relating to
industrial occupations in the direction
of strengthening trade guild system viii
lead to an energetic collision of opinion
in the Reichstag. On the whole
the prospect for the session is that
it will be busy one, claiming the best
energies of the parties without the
worst forms of passion, aui likely to
result in sound, practical legislation.
Successful experiments have been
made a t Metz with naVlgable balloon,
propelled by an electric motor.y The
AtLgemaine Zeit,ng says the
balloon is the Invention of q German
engineer named Walker, who for some
time was employed in America, where
German government, the paper says.
has bought the invention, paying for it
.0G0000 marks down and another .000,-
900, which is to be paid in installments.
The speed of the balloon exceeds that OF
a railway train, and it may be stopped
and directed at will, moving against
the wind. Whatever truth there may
be in the report, it is certain that the
residents of Metz are now nightly
startled by an electric illumination
lowering at great height over their
houses.
The official return of the war
Office shows that the total number of
German troops in the exterior zone of
the western 'front.' er, including Metz.
Strasburg. Karlsruhe, Freiburg and
Treves, is 10000 men, while in the in
terror zone, comprising Stuttgart,
Ullrig, Wurzburg, Cologne, Dusseldorf,
Frankfort and Darmstadt, the number
is 5000. The total number of guns
is 5S2
The Chinese loan of 900 600 marks
has readily been subscribed, although
at the high rate of 1867 ca cents.
This is considered to be the
opening of an era of successful
with England in her fnan-
cial relations with China. The low rate
of interest facilitated the making of the
loan. The government is urged to
take advantage of the present favorable
condition to convert further state loans.